


Crow's Nest

by Nary



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Brotherhood, Childbirth, Childhood, Family, Gen, Pre-Canon, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-07
Updated: 2011-05-07
Packaged: 2017-10-19 02:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/195740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robb and Jon climbed the tower stairs warily, for the old stones were loose in places, and it was easy to lose one's footing. Old Nan had warned them to stay away from the ruined tower, spinning vivid tales of boys who had broken their necks, but it wasn't enough to keep them away entirely - just enough to make them a little nervous, though neither would admit it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crow's Nest

Robb and Jon climbed the tower stairs warily, for the old stones were loose in places, and it was easy to lose one's footing. Old Nan had warned them to stay away from the ruined tower, spinning vivid tales of boys who had broken their necks, but it wasn't enough to keep them away entirely - just enough to make them a little nervous, though neither would admit it. They had been kicked out of the keep because Lady Catelyn was in childbed.

"The baby'd better be a boy this time," Robb said, poking at some crumbling mortar with the stick he carried as a pretend sword. "Then we'll outnumber the girls, and we can play with him when he gets big enough. We can teach him to fight, and climb, and everything fun."

Jon said nothing. Even at the age of seven, he knew not to count himself among the Stark children – another boy would only make the numbers even. Besides, he didn't mind playing with the girls sometimes, even though they were small and Sansa mostly wanted to play silly games with dolls.

"Oh well," said Robb, continuing upwards. "Mother can't give it back if it does turn out to be another girl. If she could've I bet she would have given Arya back, the way she screams until she turns purple. But you can't give babies back."

"Yes, you can," Jon replied quietly. His own mother had given him back to his lord father and never laid eyes on him again. He wondered briefly if maybe she had wanted a girl instead.

They were nearly at the top of the tower, which really meant the landing halfway up, now open to the sky, and they had to climb more carefully. A crow started off its roost with a loud, harsh caw, startling both of them. Jon was the first to recover his composure and peer into the nest. "It's got eggs," he said, counting the mottled blue-green shapes nestled within. "Four."

Robb looked over his shoulder. He'd always been bigger than Jon, even as a babe, or so Old Nan said. "We could smash them," he suggested.

They both hesitated. If Theon Greyjoy had been there, they knew that's what he would have done, and Robb emulated Theon (too often for Jon's liking). But without the older boy's company, there was no one to impress but one another. "No," said Jon. "Let's leave them alone," and was relieved when Robb looked relieved too. "Look," he added, pointing. "This one's cracked."

"Is it broken already? Maester Luwin says sometimes a raven will eat its own eggs if they're poorly, or if they break by accident before their time."

They both pulled a face at that thought, but Jon looked closer. "No," he said quietly, "it's hatching. I can see the beak pecking, trying to get out." They watched for a little longer, but the mother crow was lingering nearby and so finally they left it alone.

Robb was quiet as they went back down the rickety stairs. "Mother will be all right," he said at long last, more to reassure himself than anything else.

"Of course she will," agreed Jon. "Babies don't have to peck their way out," he added, trying to be comforting. They had recently watched a litter of puppies being born in the kennels, and had a vague idea that humans worked similarly.

"Eww, can you imagine?" Robb grimaced, and they laughed together. "Come on," said Robb, "I'll race you to the bottom!" And he ran ahead, with Jon following close on his heels, their shouts ringing off the walls of the old tower.

Far above, the mother crow returned to her hatchlings, keeping them safe as long as she was able.


End file.
